NASCAR Plaza rising next to Hall of Fame complex (continued)

NASCAR Plaza, a 19-story building, cleared the final hurdle with the Charlotte City Council last week, joining four other office projects announced or under construction.

Construction of the 19-story NASCAR Plaza office tower is to start by March and will be completed in early 2009, pending final approval by NASCAR.

Lauth Property Group, owner/developer, plans a 390,000-square-foot building to be integrated into the adjoining NASCAR Hall of Fame, across Caldwell Street from the Charlotte Convention Center.

The project will include a 1,000-space parking deck serving the three facilities and connect to the convention center via a skybridge.

NASCAR will lease about 110,000 square feet, including a TV production studio. The remainder will be speculative space.

Flint McNaughton, Lauth's Southeast regional partner, said the Class A space is available to any user, but he thinks it will appeal especially to motorsports businesses, luring nontraditional tenants to the urban core.

The $100 million project is to be finished almost a year ahead of the hall of fame.

McNaughton said NASCAR was looking for office park space when he showed Chairman Brian France the proposed hall of fame site uptown.